butter dish

This fascinating pair of serving dishes (2010.4.11 and 2010.4.12) was created by the Philadelphia jeweler J. E. Caldwell & Company. Caldwell purchased the glass forms, which were undoubtedly made to order, and then added the silver. Since Caldwell ordered some pieces for mounting from T. G. Hawkes and Company of Corning, it is possible that the glass for these serving dishes was made in Corning. The engraving on the glass and silver imitates birch bark, while the bow of each canoe has two crossed silver feathers. The butter dish comes with a silver butter knife in the form of a canoe paddle. The presence of canoe-shaped dishes on the table at a formal dinner may seem a bit peculiar, and these examples are unusual for their period. However, they are very well made and were probably expensive, so they were certainly used for formal dining. The condiment dish is rare, and the butter dish is thought to be unique. The condiment dish was probably used for pickles, olives, or other food flavorings. The other dish would have had a shaped pat of butter on the silver drainer, and the ice water in which the butter had been stored would drip into the canoe. Most silver and silver-plated butter dishes made in the late 1800s have strainers, but it is unusual for a glass dish to have one. However, this set is so unusual in its design that the presence of a strainer is not surprising. One wonders if these dishes were specially ordered for the dining room of a sporting club of some kind. They do not seem to have been a standard production by Caldwell.

United States, PA, Philadelphia

Provenance information not currently available online. Please check back in the coming weeks.